Coverage

The Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden is a historical meet with a rich history, an event that immediately invokes magical memories of the One Mile Run for high school enthusiasts. With the 103rd running of these games set for Friday, January 29th we have put together five defining moments of the girls and boys high school One Mile Run. Our hope is that these stories encourage others to look up the history of this rich event and discover how many amazing athletes have run this 11-lap-to-the-mile track and emerged with fast times and incredible stories.

When Marco Sturm from Germany scored in overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 2 to 1 victory over Philadelphia in the outdoor NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park, New Year’s Day it was a major win for the sport of hockey in general.

The Armory Foundation and USA Track and Field have formed a partnership to save the historic Millrose Games, Armory Foundation president Dr. Nobert Sander, Jr. and USATF CEO Doug Logan announced at the New Balance Track and Field center today.

NEW YORK – She looked like she had climbed a mountain or finally shouldered down a locked door that she pounded on for years. When Cory McGee finally snapped the finish line tape all she could do was stand there and take a second to enjoy a moment that teased her for her entire high school career.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson and 2006 World Indoor champ Reese Hoffa will each look to win a third Visa men's shot put title, and all-time Jamaican women's sprint great Veronica Campbell-Brown will look to scorch the track in the Visa women's 60 meters January 29 at Madison Square Garden in New York City at the 103rd Millrose Games.

Indoor track puts the rock, into rock n’ roll. It is the Thunder Dome, Grand Central Station at rush hour, circus tigers jumpin’ through flamin’ hoops, rodeo clowns dancing in front of stampedin’ bulls and a starter’s gun at the Armory.

The press conference just ended which is always a good time for a photo op. So Willie Gault backed up in front of a wall of Millrose Games and Visa logos and put his fist up, then Tim Dwight joined him in a fight stance, like two boxers poising for flashing cameras before a Vegas main event.

Three of country’s top milers have accepted invitations to race in the high school mile at the Millrose Games Jan. 29, including Roslyn’s Emily Lipari. Race directors also gave automatic bids to Anthony Kostelac of Ablemarle (Va.) and last year’s runner-up Cory McGee of Pass Christian (Miss.). Lipari ran the fastest mile time in the country last indoor season in 4:47.44.

Welcome to this season’s “new” Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden. You may ask what’s new about them. I would say you can expect a very different track & field experience when you come to the Garden, January 29th, 2010. It’s no secret that the presentation of this meet has declined in recent years.

Bernard Lagat barely remembers his first Wanamaker Mile win at the Millrose Games in 2001. What he does remember is being enchanted by New York City and Madison Square Garden so much so that he didn’t even realize that the track would be, well, umm, weird.

NEW YORK – Michael Rodgers walked to the microphone behind a podium in the backroom of Coogan’s Restaurant in Washington Heights and calmly announced that he had something to prove this season. He plans to start making his point at the Millrose Games Jan. 29 at Madison Square Garden.

An outstanding lineup of athletes who will be competing in the Millrose Games and New Balance Games will be present when the Track Writers meet on Tuesday, January 19 at 5 p.m. at the legendary Coogan’s on Broadway between 168th and 169th Streets. This is the first time the Track Writers are meeting at this time.

Anthony Kostelac faired well in the Millrose Games high school mile on Friday night. Maybe not the win that some were predicting, but still a strong runner-up showing in his first mile race of the season with a state leading time of 4:16.75, which converts to close to a 4:15 flat 1600 for the Albemarle senior. Kostelac's finish ranks among the best finishes and fastest times in Millrose history by a Virginian in the high school mile race. Only Fork Union's Ibrahim Aden (1992) and Lafayette's Seneca Lassiter (1995) have ever won the race from Virginia with Aden's 4:14.13 runner-up performance in 1991 as the fastest all-time by a Virginian prep. Winning this year's race was current national mile leader Pat Schellberg from New Jersey in a time of 4:14.84.